Make:

S1axter writes -

So I got bored tonight and started going though my box-o-cables and came across an old Apple bus mouse I had gutted years ago. I always wanted to turn it into a garage door opener but never got around to it. Well, coincidently the garage door opener for my apartment parking is the perfect size to sit inside the mouse with room for a switch.

After some probing around the opener PCB, I found two easily accessible leads for the main switch, and used wirewrap to trace them out of the unit. Wirewrap around the terminals seemed easier than soldering them. With a $1.15 tube of Krazy Glue, a nylon washer and a PCB stand off, I got the switch just below the button so when screwed together it had about the same throw as the original mouse. I also tapped a lead from the LED on the board and ground to wire up a new LED where the old mouse cable went.

I took some pics, so take a look and remember, you would be amazed at what you can do with "junk".

Interesting find, as you can see in the pics the unit has a PIC16F54C. If I had some better tools than a multimeter and a collection of screwdrivers I would have tried to dump the code from the PIC; a project for the future :-P

Related mouse modding:

The Bug: Steampunk computer mouse - Link.

Mouse Mouse - Link.

The Minty Mouse - Link.

HOW TO - Apple Pro Mouse Beltbuckle - Link.

Vintage Apple ADB mouse revival mod - Link.

PowerGlove Mouse - Link.

DIY Mouse Modding - Link.

Soap mouse - Link.

From the pages of MAKE:

Mousey the Junkbot. With a few spare parts, you can turn an old computer mouse into an amusing robot. Subscribers--read this article now in your digital edition or get MAKE 02 @ the Maker store.